In the Community
Judges and Magistrates can give a Community Order with a range of twelve requirements. Depending on the seriousness of the offence, the potential for risk of harm and reoffending, offenders can be sentenced to any combination from the twelve.
The twelve requirements that are available under the Act are:
1. Unpaid Work
2. Activity
3. Programme
4. Prohibited Activity
5. Supervision
6. Exclusion
7. Residence
8. Mental Health treatment
9. Drug Rehabilitation
10. Attendance Centre
11. Alcohol Treatment
12. Curfew
Lancashire Probation Trust manages all offenders given community orders to ensure that the sentence is completed. If an offender does not complete the requirements given to them, they can be sent back to court.
Programmes:
Lancashire Probation Trust delivers nationally accredited programmes which are designed to stop offenders committing further crimes by challenging and changing their attitudes and behaviour.
Offenders are assessed by probation staff for their suitability to undertake a specific programme. Programmes are mostly run as group sessions and Probation Programme leaders work with a group of offenders in a course of regular sessions (at least two hours each session) totalling more than 50 hours. Each offender also has individual work before starting the course and afterwards in order to assess progress in changing attitude and behaviour.
In Lancashire, we run the following group work programmes:
- Thinking Skills Programme – a thinking skills group work programme designed to change thoughts, attitudes and values behind criminal behaviour.
- Addressing Substance Related Offences (ASRO) – a behaviour programme which looks at reducing substance abuse and preventing re-offending.
- Drink Impaired Driving – for offences of driving with excess alcohol or linked offences.
- Sex Offender Group work programme – for adult male offenders who have committed sexual offences.. Specialist assessment is required for this intensive programme.
- Internet Sex Offender Programme – for male offenders with convictions for internet only sex offences. It is designed to reduce the risk of future internet offending and progression to contact sex offending.
- Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage (CALM) – a programme for male offenders to reduce aggressive and offending behaviour.
- Community Domestic Violence Programme – A programme for male offenders to reduce/stop acts of domestic violence against partners/ex-partners, thus reducing the risk of repeat victimisation.
Supervision
Any offender given a supervision requirement as part of a community order is required to attend appointments with Lancashire Probation Trust or another nominated responsible officer. We will monitor the offender, assess their needs and offer them support for areas such as accommodation, substance misuse, and education.
Every offender sentenced to 12 months or more in prison is required to be supervised in the community for a proportion of their sentence. Probation staff work closely with prisons to help offenders prepare for release. Probation staff also supervise prisoners who have been released on a life licence. It is our priority to protect the public by supervising offenders in the community.
Curfews
This requirement will usually be accompanied with electronic monitoring (commonly known as wearing a tag). Electronic monitoring is managed by G4S. The offender must remain at a specified place for a period of between two and twelve hours per day. The requirement may last for up to six months.
